GFH partners with Wafra International to acquire US logistics assets

Seven of the facilities are leased to FedEx Ground and one is leased to General Mills

FedEx shipping containers stand outside a warehouse in the US. Bloomberg

GFH Financial Group, an investment bank based in Bahrain, partnered with Kuwait-based asset management company Wafra International to acquire a portfolio of logistics assets in the US.

The portfolio comprises eight income-yielding mission critical logistics assets, the company said in a statement on Saturday. It did not disclose the value of the deal.

Seven of the facilities are leased to FedEx Ground, while one is leased to General Mills. The units are expected to be completed during 2022 as part of the built-to-suit process with leases to commence upon completion.

All units are in strategic locations “with tenant demand benefiting from strong tailwinds contributed by growing e-commerce penetration rates and sales, ongoing evolution of supply chain logistics and inadequate supply of high-quality prime warehousing facilities”, GFH said.

GFH, which has assets under management of close to $15 billion, has expanded its US portfolio significantly to tap into post-pandemic opportunities. In June, it bought an American warehousing and distribution logistics centre for $100m.

In November, it leased 14 US logistics assets to Amazon.

This year, it also acquired a $100m student housing portfolio affiliated with several top universities in the US, and in October, it acquired a residential tower in Baltimore for $90m in a joint venture with Broadshore Capital Partners.

It recently acquired a portfolio of medical offices in the US, a deal valued at $200 million.

GFH more than doubled its net profit on an annual basis in the third quarter of 2021, underpinned by a strong performance in the group’s business lines.

Net profit attributable to shareholders of the bank in the three months to September 30 surged by 187.3 per cent to $23.3m, from $8.1m in the third quarter of last year.